Students love the "range equation" in introductory physics, but it's really kind of silly. Here is a better way to calculate the maximum range of a projectile.

Projectile motion problems can easily become algebra problems that focus on identifying the right number in a diagram and substituting it into the correct equation.

The textbooks say that the maximum range for projectile motion (with no air resistance) is 45 degrees. How do you get this? Here we go.